Teresa Lynch
Senior Main Street Program Officer
National Trust Main Street Center
National Trust for Historic Preservation
116 Old Hickory Lane
Versailles, KY 40383
(859) 873-0234
teresa_lynch@nthp.org
Teresa Lynch is a senior program officer and, as such, provides technical assistance to small and mid-sized communities and urban neighborhood commercial districts across the country. Teresa also manages special National Trust Main Street Center (NTMSC) projects - such as the Army-Community Heritage Partnerships Program, through which she has provided commercial revitalization services to communities in New York, Georgia, Arizona, Kansas, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Louisiana, and Kentucky. Before joining the Center, Teresa worked in a variety of Main Street roles. She began her downtown redevelopment career more than 23 years ago as the state coordinator for the fledgling Main Street Arkansas program. After four years in that position she became the state coordinator for the Virginia Main Street program. In 1993 Teresa left the Virginia program to become an independent commercial revitalization specialist and during that time she served as a consultant to the NTMSC on technical assistance missions and was a co-author of the Main Street Committee Members Handbooks. In 1995, applying skills learned from years of teaching the Main Street Approach, Teresa became executive director of the Orange Downtown Alliance, a Main Street program in Orange, Va. She served in that capacity for four years prior to joining the Center. Her earlier career work includes positions in publishing, real estate development, health care, and law.
Experience
National Main Street Center®
National Trust for Historic Preservation
Washington, D.C.
Field Services Senior Program Officer, 1999 - Present
Responsibilities and accomplishments: Develops, manages, and delivers technical assistance to small- and mid-sized communities, to urban neighborhood commercial districts, and for special NTMSC projects. Teresa is a regular speaker at statewide commercial revitalization and economic development conferences. Areas of expertise include organizational development, fund raising, image development, business recruitment, urban design, property development, and marketing of commercial districts.
Key projects include:
- Delivery of commercial district consulting services and training programs to state coordinating programs in Maine and Florida; and direct delivery of technical assistance and training to numerous New York communities.
- Management and delivery of Main Street® technical assistance to the Department of the Army through an Army-Community Heritage Partnerships program. Project includes delivery of services to 12 selected Army installations and neighboring community commercial districts for the purpose of generating economic growth for the commercial district. This is done by developing strategies to expand upon the market offered by the installation's Army population. These technical services have been provided communities and Army installations in New York, Georgia, Kansas, Arizona, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Louisiana, and Kentucky..
- Program design and management of technical assistance and training services to new Western Erie Canal (NY) regional Main Street coordinating program.
Downtown Orange Alliance
Orange, Virginia
Program Manager, 1995 - 1999
Responsibilities and accomplishments: Directed Main Street® downtown revitalization organization in a town of 4,200. During that time, downtown Orange registered more than $5 million in private building renovations and new construction, gained 49 new businesses and 196 new jobs, doubled the size of the organization's service area to include commercial corridors leading into the downtown area, and was named a semifinalist in the GAMSA competition. Initiated, coordinated, and implemented the following key projects:
- Led the redevelopment of train station into community/visitors/transportation center.
- Developed RFP leading to redevelopment of historic County school to elderly housing.
- Developed a downtown marketing brochure and business recruitment program.
- Created and managed a variety of festivals and events to market downtown businesses.
- Established a coordinated advertising campaign and published a business directory.
- Wrote three Forestry grants and two ISTEA grants and managed implementation of streetscape improvements resulting from grant awards.
- Wrote successful CDBG planning grant that provided downtown market analysis and urban design study.
- Wrote a successful Virginia Foundation for Humanities grant for development of a historic district walking tour brochure.
- Wrote proposal for SHPO cost share grant to survey and nominate downtown as a National and State historic district.
- Established incentives for business and property development, including facade matching grant fund, low interest loan program, tax abatement ordinance, enterprise zone designation.
- Expanded organizational membership by 100, conducted annual funding campaigns, and established public relations and volunteer recognition programs.
Independent Consultant
Orange, Virginia, 1993 -1995
Responsibilities and accomplishments: Provided marketing and organizational consulting and strategic planning services to nonprofit downtown development organizations and state agencies. Co-authored four Main Street committee handbooks for National Main Street Center. Assembled and managed consultant teams to assess community needs.
Virginia Main Street Program and Virginia Enterprise Program
Richmond, Virginia
Program Manager, 1988 - 1993
Responsibilities and accomplishments: Instructed local community representatives in development of downtown revitalization and enterprise zone programs; created economic development strategies for business retention/expansion and infrastructure development in Main Street and Enterprise Zone communities; advised local organizations on structure, staffing, and workplan development; produced public relations materials for both programs; trained communities in marketing techniques and commercial design principles; represented state programs at state and national conferences; maintained regular contact with media; developed specialist contracts and RFPs; prepared program budgets; and supervised and evaluated personnel.
Arkansas Main Street Program
Little Rock, Arkansas
State Coordinator, 1984 - 1988
Responsibilities and accomplishments: Established, managed, and directed Main Street Arkansas, a statewide downtown revitalization program. Delivered technical assistance to local communities in the creation of nonprofit organizations, training for staff and volunteers, and strategic planning. Created and managed statewide downtown revitalization communications and educational network, including promotional materials, conferences, newsletters, audio-visual materials, and publications. Coordinated work with consultants and technical specialists.
